Motorola VerveOnes+ Review

Motorola VerveOnes+ Review

In-ear wireless headphones are going to be big this year, especially if all the rumors about the iPhone 7 shipping without a headphone jack are true. The first generation of wireless earbuds and in-particular those headphones aimed at the fitness market have, until now at least, left a lot to be desired.

Enter Binatone, using the Motorola name under license, with a new sport and lifestyle range called Verve.Life. A collection of wearable, wireless and waterproof devices which are designed to give ultimate freedom for social, on-the-go sporty lifestyles. Included in the range are the Motorola VerveOnes+ which are designed to be water & sweat proof and according to the marketing are the first truly wireless in-ear headphones produced by a major manufacturer.

Unpacking

Design & Function

The VerveOnes+ come with three different sizes of gel tips for different fits, for me though the standard pair fitted me perfectly. The brightly coloured orange & black buds are made of firm but tactile plastic that doesn’t feel cheap. Bigger in size than I was expecting however once fitted into your ear they sit firmly and stay put. I’ve been using these almost everyday over the last month and they haven’t fallen out once and that is while I have been running & cycling in all weathers.

The IP57 rating that the VerveOnes+ comes with means they can be immersed in 1m of water for 30 minutes. Just to point out though, they won’t actually work while you’re swimming. Bluetooth just won’t work under water. As soon as you’re back on dry land however they will kick back into life.

What they are good for though is running, cycling, etc… rain or shine, as they are also sweat proof. After your cardio training you can even rinse them under the tap to freshen them back up again.

The earbuds, making the most of the Hove seafront

A clever travelling case also doubles as a charger which can store up to four additional charges for the headphones (equating to the 12 hours playback time that’s being advised). Simply plug them back into the case and give or take 30 minutes you are good to go. On a single charge they’ll last 3 hours which is enough for most but for those on longer training sessions might find you need an alternative, or take a break to re-charge.

Sound

This is where the VerveOnes+ really come into their own. I’ve had my fair share of Bluetooth headphones as well as wired ‘sports’ headphones and in terms of sound quality these win hands-down. Offering greater dynamics and bass response than most with an option to change their equaliser settings through the App for a rich experience. Only downside to this is the App, but i’ll come on to this shortly.

Happily the Bluetooth on these buds is excellent. Despite comments in other reviews I very rarely experienced any drop out or issues in playing back music. We’re talking three to four times in an hour each dropout lasting less than a second. Just for reference the left earbud connects via Bluetooth to your device and the right earbud connects to the left. Sometimes the signal passing around and through your head can cause the connection to drop, maybe my head has more space in-between my ears than most!

Being a road runner and cyclist I was concerned about not being able to hear my surroundings. As much as I love a good beat I do want to able to hear an approaching lorry or car. Gratefully this has been considered in the design and a setting in the App to allow ‘Pass-Through Audio’ will actually play surrounding sounds through the earbud along with the music. Safety first.

The VerveOnes+ in action… on a better looking guy then me

The App

There are some great ideas here but unfortunately the execution leaves a little to be desired. Ideas such as a map using your phones GPS displaying where you last were with your VerveOnes+, in case you lost them or they fall out is clever and works well. Other things such as the amount of charge remaining in each earbud I found to be wildly inaccurate.

Another annoying bug for me is that to change any settings on the earbuds can only be done when the buds are inside the case. Changing equaliser settings for example requires you to stop playing, remove the buds, place them in the case, connect via the cases Bluetooth, open the App and then change the setting. Not particularly slick.

Verdict:

Editor's Rating

80

They last for hours thanks to the ingenious charging case. Waterproof and sweat-proof with great sound and perfect fit, the Verve Ones+ are an excellent first attempt at truly wireless headphones. Only the App and slight drop out let them down.